Marion City Council tours pool/gm complex

The Marion City Council began its April 5 meeting with a 90-minute tour of the progress being made on the $12 million indoor swimming pool/gymnasium complex the city will share with the Marion school district.

Council members hailed the the large pool, gymnasium and entire complex as impressive.

City Administrator David Mayfield showed members the area for a proposed drainage pond in East Park across the street as well as a culvert to be cleaned out as part of the project. The pond would hold up to 5 feet of water during storms, then allow it to slowly seep away, he said.

Mayfield said trees in the park will be preserved during the project. Some limited parking spaces will be lost on the east side, but new parking at the pool will replace that, he said.

When the council reconvened its meeting at city hall, construction of the pond and drainage cleaning were approved, subject to the installation of fencing.

A discussion of council meeting time was tabled until Councilor Steve Smith returns at the next meeting. Approval of planning commission bylaws also was postponed for the same reason.

Randy Hulett asked the council take action to clean up property at 526 Cleveland, where he reported seeing scattered junk and rats.

Council members asked City Attorney Dan Baldwin to contact the property owners.

They postponed a decision on a request from Barb Steiner to provide curb cuts on new sidewalks along Denver Street for the safety of children going to school.

The council agreed to pay $1,325 insurance premium for three days of Chingawassa celebration upon request of a group led by Mike Powers.

The council approved providing free Chingawassa Days buttons for full-time city employees with the exception of police officers, who will be working the event anyway.

Mayor Mary Olson asked that the council allot 15 to 20 minutes of discussion time at meetings to replace work sessions. She listed several topics: handicapped parking, renting the spec building at the industrial park, and using the industrial park for such things as testing John Deere equipment from the adjacent dealership.

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